Cosabella Heritage

The success story of Cosabella was an unplanned one.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

In the early 1980’s, Valeria and Ugo Campello relocated from their home in Pordenone, Italy to Miami, Florida when Ugo got an opportunity through his company. Valeria, a recent graduate from law school, put her goal of becoming a corporate lawyer on hold and came to America for what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement.

Upon arriving, Valeria found herself growing restless at home while her husband was away at work. She found the answer to her boredom in her hometown: Carpi was known throughout Italy as a destination for fashion, and with her connections to local merchants, Valeria saw an opportunity to bring ‘Made in Italy’ products to Miami. Importing a handful of items, the success of the small batch of Italian products demonstrated that American women took ‘Made in Italy’ quality seriously and thus, Valeria’s import/export garment business had begun

COMMITTED TO QUALITY

The company was formally founded in 1983. Cosabella (Italian for “beautiful thing”) was growing rapidly and Ugo had left his engineering career to work full-time for Cosabella.External economic issues made it appear as though Cosabella would have to sacrifice Italian-made products in order to remain cost effective, but the Campello’s embraced the challenges.Those initial hindrances resulted in Cosabella discontinuing imports from other manufacturers and began producing their own line of lingerie, propelling Cosabella to become the lingerie icon it is today.

Manufacturing was done solely in Italy both for the creation of garments as well as a unique color-dyeing ability that would become one Cosabella’s trademark features. To date, Cosabella has created beautiful lace garments in nearly 200 vibrant hues.

AN OVERNIGHT CULT CLASSIC

Cosabella was propelled into the limelight with their game-changing bodysuits in the mid-eighties. For the first time ever, the sheer material, known as mesh, used for hosiery was being used in lingerie and bodysuits. The success of their “perizoma” (mesh thongs) created their loyal fan base as women clamored for the sheer mesh thongs with bright colors and showed no panty lines.

Always on the forefront of new trends, Cosabella continuously creates innovative pieces like the supple and cozy cashmere blend "Tube" with over 14 different styling options, the "Betsy Bra" a unique cropped bustier with three quarter sleeves, Trenta Ombre in which the lace is sprayed with pigment to create a unique ombre effect, bralette inserts in their camisoles, and the GLOW collection with photoluminescent pigments enriched into the lace to make glow in the dark underwear.

A LINGERIE EMPIRE

Cosabella became iconic for its blend American innovation and Italian artisanship. Always keeping the modern woman in mind, Cosabella aims to give her the capability of showcasing her personal style through a mixture of colors and fabrics. In recognition of this cult-like following of women around the world, the brand is passionate about staying true to their Italian heritage and old world artisanship.

Cosabella has grown to be internationally acclaimed high-end lingerie brand and has expanded to over 35 countries, having shops in the United States, Italy, France, and South Korea. Found in high-end retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue; or specialty boutiques throughout the world, Cosabella has also gone on to do collaborations such as with fashion designer Erin Fetherston, trendy retailer Urban Outfitters, designer Carmen Marc Valvo, hit television series Sex In the City, and most recently Parisian label Paul & Joe.

Adopted as one of Hollywood’s favorite brands, Cosabella is a staple on movie sets, photo shoots, and runways. Cosabella can frequently be found in magazines such as Vogue, Sports Illustrated, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, Cosmopolitan, and Teen Vogue; celebrities such as Oprah or the Kardashian’s/Jenner’s can often be seen rocking their Cosabella garments for both every day and red carpet looks.

In 2011 Valeria Campello was recognized at The Commonwealth Institute’s “Sixth Annual Top Women-Led Businesses in Florida” award ceremony.The ceremony honored the top 50 leading female executives in not-for-profit and for-profit organizations based in the state of Florida. Valeria was ranked 15 of 50.

Guido Campello was named the company’s first appointed CEO in 2014, changing the company’s focus from solely manufacturing and wholesale to “flagship and digital retail, private label, licensing and co-branding.”

Cosabella today has almost 2,000 styles of lingerie, daywear, loungewear, sleepwear and activewear sold in more than 100 countries. The product lines are CSBLA (lifestyle), Triathalon (activewear), Extended, Maternity, and Bridal. The brand is an advocate for no visible panty lines (VPLs). Believing that panty lines should be eliminated, Cosabella reimagined all bodysuits with a thong back design in 1995.

The Cosabella marketing strategy is adapted to suit each individual consumer market while ensuring the overall messaging supports brand identity. Cosabella’s largest market is the U.S. and is followed by Italy. The product development team uses the term 'glocal'; meaning the brand always considers local needs even when working on a global scale.

Today Cosabella is a second generation legacy brand, under the guidance of siblings Silvia and Guido Campello comprised of a diverse product mix of intimates, swim, shape, and loungewear. Design headquarters in Miami and production and distribution headquarters in Italy.

PHILANTHROPY

Design Architecture Senior High Scholarship

In support of the next generation of young designers, Cosabella awards a yearly scholarship to a senior designer from Design and Architecture Senior High School. D.A.S.H. holds a special place in the hearts of the Cosabella family as Guido Campello, CEO, is a proud alumnus of the school. “This is an incredible opportunity to give back, not only to my high school but to the industry as a whole. We want to encourage the next generation to be passionate and get excited about what they are doing. These students are the future of the fashion industry,” said Guido.

Design and Architecture Senior High is one of the premier high schools in the United States of America. Located in the heart of Miami, Florida’s Design District, it has been ranked in the top 20 high schools in the United States by US News.

‘Fashion Targets Breast Cancer’ Initiative

Cosabella has partnered with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a foundation that raises both funding and public awareness, internationally. A percentage of sales from the Never Say Never Happie Bralette in the color Deep Ruby will be donated to the charitable initiative. The Happie is a front closure bralette designed for optimal comfort, support, and compression for post-operative patients.